Is Preston North End’s Premier League Dream Within Reach This Season?
Could the Preston North End Drought End?
There’s one claim to fame that Preston North End has that nobody else does. It’s also one that fans at Deepdale would rather not claim: they’re the only club that previously won the First Division that’s never played in the Premier League.
Based on the start of the season, the Lilywhites have a chance to end that unwanted label. Through five matches, Preston’s on 13 points and joint stingiest defense in the Championship with Birmingham City. The Lilywhites have conceded just three times this season, and only one of those goals has come away from home.
It’s still a long season, and Preston’s schedule is going to get more challenging. But here’s why they’ve got a reasonable shot to find their way to the top league next season.
Making Deepdale a Fortress
It’s no secret as to why Preston didn’t compete for promotion last season: the Lilywhites were mediocre at home a season ago, and that’s being kind. Preston only took 28 points at home out of a possible 69, and that’s nowhere near good enough to win promotion. Incredibly, Preston actually proved better away from Deepdale, winning 10 of 23 matches and claiming 35 points on the road.
If you can average two points at home and 1.5 points on the road, you’re going to be in the mix for promotion. So Preston only needs to fix its home form, and so far, they’re showing improvement. Preston’s won a pair of matches at home this season, and it’s done so without giving up a lot of looks at the net.
Against Sunderland, the Lilywhites allowed the Black Cats to have 65% of the ball, but only four shots on target. The only Sunderland goal came on a penalty, and that’s a solid showing for a defense that was a strength last season. Preston’s still able to win games by not giving up opportunities, which likely has to remain part of its identity. Last year’s team had a goal differential of negative-11, which isn’t going to cut it in a promotion challenge.
Nor will allowing teams to leave Deepdale with points. Obviously, the schedule will get harder than strugglers Stoke City and Sheffield Wednesday. But so far, maximum points at Deepdale is a big step in the right direction.
Growing With Lowe
Ryan Lowe has proven an able young manager in some less-than-ideal circumstances. At Bury, he guided his side to a trophy just before the Shakers were expelled from the Footbal League. When he arrived at Plymouth Argyle, he quickly guided the Pilgrims to a promotion to League One and built the foundation for them to win another promotion to the Championship.
He’s now made his adjustments with Preston, and he has learned a bit of what works and what doesn’t at this level. That change hasn’t come instantly, and the result of the past couple seasons have shown that. Lowe understood this offseason that he needed a talented player like Will Keane and he needed to build around him as best as possible.
He also understands that piling expectations on his team isn’t the way to go. He tried that last season and found out the hard way that saying too much comes back to bite a manager when it’s too ambitious. This year, he’s more reserved and understand that this will be a process.
Ridsdale’s Steady Hand
Leeds supporters just threw up in their mouths at that heading. But North End director Peter Ridsdale, always unfairly blamed for Leeds’ demise years ago, has proven pretty conclusively that either he’s learned from what happened at Elland Road or was never the problem in the first place.
At Deepdale, Ridsdale has run Preston without spending lavishly on players or creating a mountain of debt. The Lilywhites carry no debt, yet they’ve never finished lower than 14th in the Championship ever since winning promotion from League One in 2015. Ridsdale has shown he can hire smart managers and stay out of their way, while giving them what they need to compete in the Championship.
Over the past couple years, Lowe and Ridsdale have added the likes of Cameron Archer, Tom Cannon and now Keane. Archer and Cannon were midseason loan additions, which says that if Lowe decides there’s someone out there he needs in December, Ridsdale’s going to do what he can within reason to bring him to Deepdale.
Can It Last All Season?
The additions have worked out well to this point. Last year, Preston’s biggest problem was attacking, as the Lilywhites played out eight consecutive matches that were 0-0 or 1-0 to start last season. It didn’t fix itself over the year, as North End finished with nine scoreless matches. Flipping four of those nine into 1-0 wins would have landed Preston in the playoffs, and given what happened with Luton Town, it’s not a stretch to say the Lilywhites could have cashed in the lottery ticket.
With eight goals in five matches, things are better this year than last in just about every way at Deepdale. It won’t be easy, but it will be possible. If Preston can keep up the attacks, it will have an opportunity to finally be the last First Division champion to reach the promised land.
